The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Ring
by Ayane Omorimoto
Summary: Wonder what happens after the fellowship's journey? The Ring isn't actually destroyed, and a new villian has appeared. Now the fellowship must destroy it once and for all, but to do that, they must travel north to get a sacred potion in the Iron Hills....
1. Prologue

Children's laughter and tall tales roamed the lands of Gondor, or so the land was called in centuries before when the great kings ruled with a mighty iron fist. Many often asked of those years, mostly children, and only one was left alive to tell the tale. He was an unusually small man named Peregrin Took VII, now living in the southlands near the rolling hills and valleys of Kolomi, which used to be known as The Shire.  
  
"Please Uncle!"  
  
"Yes! Please tell us the story! Tell it again, please?"  
  
"Come on Uncle Pippin! Tell it to us again!"  
  
A warm chuckle emitted from the hobbit as he took a seat in his wicker rocking chair. "So you want to hear the story again?" he asked and several cheers sounded from the crowd of children gathered at his feet. He smiled and painted a puzzled look on his face. "Now, let's see if I can remember, what was this story about again?"  
  
"It was about the king Aragorn!"  
  
"Mr. Frodo and the ring, Uncle!"  
  
"And the grand battles against the trolls and orcs!"  
  
"Don't forget about the noble elves with their bows!"  
  
Cheers surrounded the aging hobbit as the children each pointed out their favorite part of the story. The young boys acted out swordfights while the girls swooned over the brave knights. Peregrin raised his hands into the air and then there was silence.  
  
"Now children, I know that you know about that particular story, but, have you ever wondered what happened afterward?"  
  
"They lived happily and there was peace throughout the land?"  
  
"Sauron never again saw the light of day?"  
  
Other assumptions echoed through and the elderly hobbit once again called for silence.  
  
"Would you all like to hear about what happened afterward?"  
  
"Please!" the children called in unison.  
  
Peregrin smiled and began his tale. "Well, after Mr. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee climbed all the way up Mount Doom, after going trough all the torment and torture of carrying the Dark Lord's ring, they thought that all of their troubles would be over. But alas, they were mistaken, for in the far corners of Ephel Duath, or the Mountains of Shadow, a dark ritual was being held. There, a mighty sorceress was casting a spell to protect the Evil One's ring from the molten fiery pits of Mount Doom. This spell could only be broken by a sacred potion hidden deep to the north of Middle Earth, in the Iron Hills. Sauron, seeing his ring being flung into the volcano, gave up all of his hope for life, and his psyche plunged in the dark abyss of hatred from which he was shaped. But, right as the evil ring hit the lava, the spell took effect, and only a portion of it was damaged. The ring then traveled through the current of the lava and to the river of Poros, and was embedded in the soil near The Crossing of Poros. This is where our adventure begins..." 


	2. Ayane the Black

"My Lord?"  
  
"Speak your due"  
  
"Gandalf is here to see you"  
  
Aragorn, adorned with his crown glanced up from his stare on the floor and smiled. An old man cloaked in white stood in the doorway. In his hand was a white wooden staff.  
  
"Come in, why don't you?" Aragorn grinned, embracing Gandalf in his arms.  
  
Gandalf patted Aragorn on the back and replied, "I'm happy to see you too, friend, but I'm afraid I have only unfriendly information to share"  
  
"Unfriendly? How so? Nothing could lessen my happiness now that evil is gone and the land surrounding me is in peace" he glanced behind him to the empty chair beside the one that he was sitting in, "and now that my love is now with me eternally"  
  
"I have visited Elrond and I'm afraid he had something dark to tell me. I don't understand it though, it confuses me" Gandalf replied, furrowing his brow.  
  
"Here, take a seat, you have traveled far" Aragorn said, leading Gandalf to a small table. "What news has Elrond?"  
  
Gandalf took his seat and looked up at Aragorn, his eyes concentrated on Gandalf as if he wanted to predict what his news would be before he had spoken it. His face seemed a bit worn, as if the burden of the king had finally taken effect on him. Aragorn smiled and took his seat next to Gandalf.  
  
"What news has Elrond, Gandalf?" he asked.  
  
"It is probably nothing to vex about, but he told me that he has seen dark clouds over some of the land. He still feels a dark power lurking in the shadow"  
  
"Does he think it is Sauron?" Aragorn asked, worry clouding his face. He shook his head and looked back up at Gandalf, "It cannot be Sauron. I saw his fall with my own two eyes. I saw his mighty armies collapse before my feet. He has not returned. Has he?"  
  
"I am not sure" Gandalf said, "That is what confuses me. I don't feel Sauron's presence anywhere I see. I'm not sure. But," Gadalf said, raising a finger. "I know someone who is sure, and we must travel to her"  
  
Aragorn nodded, "To where shall we travel?"  
  
"She has told me to meet her in the town of Pelargir"  
  
"Shall I gather an assembly?"  
  
Gandalf smiled and shook his head. "I say we call on some of our old friends" Gandalf raised his hand and two figures walked into the room, one tall and slender, the other short and stout.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli trotted through the gates of Pelargir on horseback. Gandalf rode ahead of the group to a small sundial in the middle of the square. A troubled look crossed his face and he looked up in the sky.  
  
Gimli hopped off the horse he and Legolas rode and walked to Gandalf. "So, we wait here for her?"  
  
Gandalf shook his head and smiled down at Gimli, "Be patient noble dwarf, she shall be here momentarily"  
  
Aragorn looked behind him as the people closed and locked the town gates. "How will she be arriving?"  
  
Gandalf smiled again and pointed toward the sky, and a deafening screech sounded.  
  
"What in the bloody hell?" Gimli said, startled.  
  
"There!" Legolas said, pointing to the clouds and readying his bow. "A Nazgul!"  
  
The dragon shot toward the ground, its wings outstretched, a moment later, it landed right in front of them and words emitted from it.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little elf"  
  
Legolas pulled back the bowstring and shot for the dragon's head, but then a black orb surrounded it and deflected the arrow.  
  
Gandalf led Shadowfax to the side of the dragon, which was sitting obediently. He then lifted his hand and helped down a woman adorned in a black cloak.  
  
"Thank you Gandalf, at least one of you has the decency" she glared at Legolas, who quickly stored away his bow.  
  
"It's nice to see you too, Ayane" Gandalf stated, smiling brightly at her.  
  
She looked at him disgustedly then sighed, and pushed back her hood. The company was shocked at what they saw. Flowing raven hair framed her rather pale face, but what caught their attention the most, was her ice cold lavender eyes, that seemed to pierce their souls at each glance. Gandalf glanced from Aragorn, to Gimli, to Legolas, and then took the opportunity to introduce the woman.  
  
"This, my friends, is Ayane the Black. A sorceress who, believe it or not, has been alive longer than I have."  
  
"Well, she sure doesn't look it!" Gimli blurted.  
  
Ayane raised an eyebrow and then replied haughtily, "Of course, dwarf, only your kind cannot control their mouths, and more importantly, their tempers"  
  
"What was that, missy?" Gimli growled.  
  
She turned on Legolas, "I suppose you are the elf from Mirkwood I've heard so much about, shoot first, talk later?"  
  
"Miss, I-"  
  
"And you!" she stated, turning toward Aragorn, "You must be the high-and- mighty king of Gondor, you've certainly picked some strange companions. But than again, seeing how odd they are, you probably belong together"  
  
Aragorn simply stared at her, a grim look on his once happy face.  
  
"Gandalf," he replied, not taking his eyes off the sorceress, and she the same, "I was told that we would hear news, not be insulted, on this journey"  
  
"Well, if you would be so patient, I'd tell you what I've come to say" she shot out a hand, "My staff, if you please, Gandalf"  
  
"Happily" he replied, taking down a pewter staff, with rattling rings like a monk's staff. On the top of it was a lavender orb with one demon and one angel wing. The orb swirled with an unknown substance. He handed the staff to her.  
  
"What I have to tell you cannot be spoken of here, however, she shall talk more privately," she shot out her opposite hand and pointed to one of the less crowed taverns, "Here."  
  
They all then glanced at the huge black dragon, currently bowing, at the sorceress' feet.  
  
"Don't be afraid of him, he is tame, and, unlike your horses, is much more convenient." Ayane stated, and then walked to the dragon, lifting her hand, the dragon's head lifted with it. She placed her palm on the dragon's nose and its eyes flashed from hers to the company's, somewhat nervously. She smiled (much to the surprise of everyone) and planted a kiss on its nose, then shot her hand toward the sky, and with a huge flap, the dragon flew up and into the clouds.  
  
"Shall we go?" she stated, her coldness returning. 


End file.
